I had a Frigidaire Gallery unit that was pretty noisy when configured as recirc but was quieter when externally vented. Squirrel cage blower was pretty efficient. Intake screens were small and got crudded up easily.

I have an Amana Radarange fan/microwave that is about 9 yrs old and not externally vented. The fan seems to work just fine, but it is terribly noisy and has been since new. We tend to not use it very often because of the noise (even on the low settting). I would see if you could give a listen before you purchase one.

My personal philosophy is, if you are going to vent the range, vent it to the outside. Recirculating the air is a waste. You'll collect some of the grease and smoke, but none of the smells - the rest gets spewed further out into the room. Better to throw that polluted air outside.

An over-the-range microwave saves some counter space, but I don't like reaching over the potentially hot range to use it. This is a good and bad point as well if you have youngsters that might be inclined to climb up to use it. Make sure you install the anti-tip bracket on the stove! The oven door looks like a good step to them.

Mine has an 8" duct and a variable speed fan that is loud if you need it on high (not very often). It is a Thermador with the high back on the range and warming shelf with heat lamps in the hood. Frying will set off the smoke detector if I don't use it (another reason to vent outside!).

It's a 6" duct. Sorry, I wrote the wrong diameter, after spending too many years in bathrooms. Currently I have a 3 1/4" X 10" opening adaptor going into a 6" round duct, and a low-cost builder's kitchen fan.

The big question in my mind is whether I'll only be satisfied by a separate quiet fan and not a combined fan-microwave.

... off the countertop. And today, the best performance and features in u-waves is in the OTR's.

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Rats! The dilemma is bigger now. Everything you said is great.

It's a small kitchen, galley style layout, in a concrete condo apartment. There's no way to prevent noise from spreading out into the living room and main hallway. With only 6 feet of countertop, we have to use the cooktop and the edge of the sink as part of counter space.

The trade offs are noise, and space. Exhausting air is important, but it's not the biggest requirement. Even when cooking with a wok.

To have an uncluttered look in general, the microwave can't be on the countertop. Maybe we'll just go without one.

I guess my thinking about placement of these things is similar to Jim's. I don't want a microwave over my stove simply because of the danger in reaching over stuff cooking on the stove to haul something out of the microwave and potentially dropping it. That would be hard on the cooktop too. Also made worse with a gas stove with flaming burners. This is particularly troublesome for a shorter person. My preference is to give up some cabinet space and just build a niche to get it up off the counter.

Compared to real kitchen exhaust fans, are over-the-range microwave ovens just toys? Are they noisy? Are they good?

Kitchen exhaust fans can be low-noise. I don't turn noisy fans on.

David

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Hate 'em. Wife hates 'em. A dedicated fan vented outside is preferred in this house. And we know a couple of folks with the u-wave over stove deal - in each case, the countertop unit out performs the built in.

My wife is short and I'm tall, so in our remodel the vent is going up more than normal. I'm going to move the controls for the vent and mount them at or under the counter so she can reach them easily.